Becoming a living donor is a chance to save a life.

Care teams will draw blood work to determine donor compatibility with the potential recipient.

ABO blood typing is a test used to determine your blood type.

• Blood type A can donate to an A or AB recipient.
• Blood type AB can donate to an AB recipient.
• Blood type B can donate to a B or AB recipient.
• Blood type O is a universal donor and can donate to a blood type A, B, AB or O recipient .

Tissue Typing (HLA) is a blood test that determines how closely donor tissues match those of the recipient. The purpose of a human lymphocyte antigen (HLA) blood test is to identify tissue type and to make sure that you and the intended recipient are a compatible genetic match.

If blood work shows that the donor kidney is not a good match, paired kidney donation (PKD) is another potential option for living kidney donation. In the PKD program, donors who do not match their intended transplant recipient may choose to take part in a paired donation program. The program can arrange a “swap,” which involves a pair of two living donors and two recipients. If the recipient from the first pair is compatible with the donor from the other pair—and vice versa— the transplant program may arrange the “swap” to allow two transplant recipients to receive living donor kidneys and allow two donors the ability to donate³.

Learn more about programs for incompatible donor/recipient pairs.

Those considering becoming a living donor must start the evaluation process to become a living donor by calling WVU Medicine Transplant Alliance at 304-974-3004. (Friends and family members may not call for you.) Those interested may also complete the History and Health Questionnaire.

WVU Medicine respects the privacy of all potential donors and intended recipients. Once your referral is received, you will be assigned to a Living Donor Coordinator. This individual will be a separate coordinator from the intended recipient’s transplant team in order to prevent sharing of medical information.

Potential living kidney donors will receive educational materials and a Health History Questionnaire (HHQ) to be completed.

Once we receive your completed HHQ, a team will review your records. If you move forward as a potential candidate, you’ll be scheduled a call with the Independent Living Donor Advocate (ILDA) and attend a phone educational session with the Living Donor Coordinator.

An Independent Living Donor Advocate (ILDA) is independent of the transplant department and has a background in ethics, transplantation, living donation, and informed consent. Involved throughout the entire transplant experience, the ILDA is responsible for:

• Protecting and promoting the interests of the donor
• Representing and advise the donor
• Respecting the donor’s decision and ensuring the donor’s decision is informed and free from coercion

During the educational session, our team members will discuss the Living Donor Evaluation Consent and obtain your verbal consent to move forward. You will receive prescriptions for a 24-hour urine collection and initial blood work via the mail, and a 24-hour blood pressure monitor will be ordered for you.

You may complete all testing at your convenience and near your home. When the results come back, the Living Donor Team will review them and determine if an on-site evaluation can be scheduled.

A coordinator will contact you about your results and plans from there. Your results will also be available in the WVU Medicine MyWVUChart App.

If you are invited for an on-site evaluation, you’ll arrive at the WVU Medicine J.W. Ruby Memorial hospital in Morgantown, West Virginia for an all-day appointment. (You’ll receive details on the timing of this appointment, which may vary for each patient.)

Your day will include a visit to the WVU Medicine Transplant Alliance clinic where you will meet all team members and the Independent Living Donor Advocate (ILDA).

During this visit, you’ll have the following tests done:

• Additional lab work drawn (These labs are not fasting so eat and drink as normal.)
• Additional testing may be ordered based upon age, medical history, and/or family history
• CT scan of your kidneys and abdomen (The CT scan requires contrast to enhance the images we need to assess the anatomy of your kidneys.)
• Echocardiogram (ECHO) of your heart

During the on-site evaluation, labs will be drawn to determine compatibility.

• Crossmatch/HLA Typing – This test will determine how closely blood/tissues match those of the recipient.

Following the in-person visit with the Living Donor Team, you will be scheduled for a MyWVUChart Virtual Visit with Behavioral Health assessment.

Once all testing is complete, the Living Donor Selection Committee (includes Living Donor Team, ILDAs, Behavioral Health Team, and Recipient Coordinator) will meet to review all testing to ensure each patient considering donation is physically and mentally capable of moving forward as a living donor.

You will be notified of the outcome of this meeting (accept, defer, or decline) by the Living Donor Coordinator.

• Accepted: Approved for donation
• Declined: Not a candidate for donation
• Deferred: Sometimes additional testing is necessary for the team to make a final decision.

Scheduling Living Donation Surgery

Once approved, the Living Donor Coordinator will call you to discuss timing, which will be determined by schedules/preferences of both the donor and recipient. Once a date for surgery is set, a pre-operative visit (within 14-30 days prior to the donation) will be scheduled.

Pre-op Visit

You’ll visit the WVU Medicine Transplant Alliance for your pre-op visit. During this visit:

• The ILDA will meet with you.
• The Living Donor Coordinator will provide instruction for pre-op meals, medications, and arrival times.
• The surgeon will complete a history and physical (H&P) to be used for the surgery.
• You will sign a consent for the operating room for a Living Donor Nephrectomy.

Additionally, you’ll visit the Anesthesia team at the Physician’s Office Complex (POC). Here you’ll receive blood work, an EKG, and a chest Xray. Our team will also utilize labs to perform the final Crossmatch testing to assess possible reactions between donor and recipient.

Surgery Day

Both the donor and recipient will arrive at WVU Medicine J.W. Ruby Memorial in the morning as communicated by the team. You (in addition to a maximum of two family members) will head to the fifth-floor pre-op area where you’ll change into a gown, receive an IV, and begin required blood work.

Your support team can come back at this time. Finally, the Donor Surgeon will see you in the holding area to mark your abdomen on the side the kidney is to be removed, and members of the Anesthesia and Operating Rooms teams will also stop by.

In the Operating Room

In the operating room, your surgical team will ask your name and who you are donating to.

Your surgery should take around three to four hours.

Your care team will insert a Foley Catheter to drain your bladder and work to position you on your side for the surgery. They will use foam and towels used to help protect boney areas and prevent pressure on nerves.

Your surgeon will make an incision around your belly button. After the kidney is removed, your surgeon will carefully close the incision with stitches.

Post Donation

Following surgery, you will rest in the Post-Anesthesia Recovery Room for at least 90 minutes.

Your care team will wake you up and manage any pain you might have. Then, you’ll head to the Step-Down Unit where your family can visit with you.

Discharge is planned for two days after donation.

 

Every person recovers at their own rate.

The hospital staff will encourage you to get up and/or walk regularly to get your bowels moving and help the air/gas placed in your abdomen during surgery to resolve.

For a few weeks after surgery, you might feel more tired than normal. Keep up a light exercise program, especially walking, to build your energy back up.